Official MLBlog of Keith Olbermann

Somebody Signed Strasburg On Saturday

Absolutely love this. Over the weekend, when things looked bleakest for Your Washington Nationals, a respected baseball writer with a fantasy league team revealed he filled a vacant roster spot with Stephen Strasburg. The punch-line is: it’s not a keeper league…What I don’t get: ownership of Billy Wagner at 0.6% in ESPN leagues and 6% in CBS leagues. He was in uniform at CitiField tonight and unless his arm falls off after a bullpen session tomorrow, he’ll be activated by Friday. How many contenders could use him, at the comparatively low price the Mets would ask – and wouldn’t teams like the Cubs, Marlins, Phillies, and maybe even Rays, contemplate using him in at least some save situations?…Gaby Sanchez came out of the New Orleans game early tonight and headed to join Florida. It seems implausible that he isn’t there to replace either Nick Johnson at first, or go to third and let Jorge Cantu move back to first – but the Marlins have already done bizarre things this year, like the last time Sanchez came up and didn’t play, and the fact that they’ve left Cameron Maybin in the Coast League even as he dominated it, just to make sure he wouldn’t become a “Super Two” arbitration guy…And the Brewers did let Mat Gamel come up and largely rot on the bench, setting him back a season’s development…Bizarre statistic that might not even qualify as such, maybe it’s just a coincidence: The Mets were 7-4 with ex-Rockie Cory Sullivan starting in left. They have now put him into a platoon with Angel Pagan in centerfield and when Sullivan starts there, the Mets are 1-3…While some agonize over the lack of a no-brainer Rookie Of The Year among N.L. hitters, there’s nothing wrong with just giving the trophy to Tommy Hanson…Atlanta also might earn the reverse equivalent of the Comeback Player Award: Kelly Johnson went from one of the majors’ premiere speed-and-power second basemen, to the victim of lingering injury, to Martin Prado’s backup, to going hitless today in a spot start while all around him were pounding Max Scherzer…Some in the Mets’ front office say they were told, but do not believe, that their first-round draft choice Steven Matz pronounces his last name “Metz.” Matz of the Mets is close enough, and Matt Helm, the seventh-rounder signed by Arizona, had a fictional counterpart in a ludicrous Dean Martin James Bond ripoff movie in the ’60s…Lastly, most politically incorrect joke in New York: they were really worried about David Wright after he got beaned Saturday because he couldn’t answer the traditional simple questions during the neurological work-up at the hospital. Then it turned out the doctors weren’t that baseball-savvy and had asked him to name the Mets’ starting shortstop, centerfielder, and first baseman.

I’ll take issue with “And the Brewers did let Mat Gamel come up and largely rot on the bench, setting him back a season’s development”…

Gamel currently has 314 AB between the bigs and AAA with month and a half to play. He should easily surpass the 400 AB total for the season. He hit for an OPS of .876 in AAA (211 AB). I hardly doubt the 2 months he spent with the Brewers has set him back a “season’s development”.

sorry this is a little off topic but I’d like to know your thoughts on my ideas.

Reyes’ continues to have leg problems and the Mets need him in the lineup and on the base paths, so why not move him to LF? He has one of the strongest arms in the infield (he has to have a better arm than Damon) and Reyes’ speed and athleticism can carry him while he adjusts to the move. Put Reyes on the shelf this season, let him rehab and become acclimated with LF.

A couple years ago Rickey Henderson said Reyes and other infielders are at a disadvantage in regard to stolen bases because INFs bodies take more “wear n’ tear” than outfielders during the course of the season. Plus scouts believe Reyes has reached or is close to his potential, so protect your investment and move Reyes to LF so he lessens the risk of further injuries to his legs. His ego may not like it at first but I’m sure Reyes will enjoy being back on the field and long term will see he’s better reserved and rested later in the season. I see Carl Crawford when I think about moving Reyes to LF, and that’s be phenomenal. Defensively Beltran and Francouer’s Gold Gloves caliber play will complement and/or compensate for Reyes’ adjustment period.

New York Citi Field is a racetrack waiting to happen. The Mets should get faster this off-season rather than adding another bat. The Mets need pitching not pop! Moving Reyes to LF addresses the need of an everyday LF and Hernandez/Cora can platoon at SS until Flores or another option comes along. The Mets need to embrace who they are, a small ball hybrid team (hybrid bc a handful of Mets can be 20/20 players.) It’d be great if the Mets add pop to the lineup, but they don’t need it and free agency won’t provide the caliber slugger the Mets need to thrive in the the larger New York Citi Field. Play the cards Omar has dealt and let the gaps and larger dimensions be a gift rather a curse.

I want the 2010 Mets to play like the 2002 Angels. Defensively sound – they didn’t beat themselves. They played smart baseball and stayed in almost every game because of it, which allowed them to “rally” and come from behind so often. The 02 Angels were a small ball team with great speed and smart/aggressive base runners. And the most important part of it all, they played like a team. They weren’t consumed with individual egos, everything they did was for the team. Each player gave 120% for the team because they knew the man beside them was giving just as much. If you’re going to be successful with small ball you have to believe in it as well as the players around you.

Home runs are instant gratification, manufacturing runs through small ball is a roller coaster of emotion. It’s a much more exciting, emotional and intense experience when a team can string together a couple late hits and make moves on the base paths late in the game for the win rather than a walk off HR.

Hey Keith, sorry, I couldn’t get a comment in on your other blog. I know this isn’t baseball oriented, but I hope you don’t mind. I was just hoping you could clarify some things you said to me one and a half years ago, in that video you showed me while I was at college. Also, have to say, love the show, and just found your blog. Awesome way to keep up with it. Hope to hear from you soon.

Also, I almost forgot, I wanted to apologize for being so rude to you. I was in a very confused state at the time, and so I was unable to show you the respect that you deserve. I’m sorry if I disrupted your show, or offended you in anyway. My bad. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know.

Well certainly the Cubs are in need of a closer, but at this point I’m not sure they’ve got enough left in the tank to take a final run at the Cardinals.
If you could use Wagner in the pen as anything other than a closer, why wouldn’t the Yankees get him- this is a team that added Chad Gaudin to their pen after all.

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